Bus Accidents – what you need to know if you are involved in an accident

Travelling by bus or coach is generally a very safe way to travel. Drivers who carry passengers are trained and tested to a very high standard and the buses and coaches they drive are generally well maintained. A bus or coach can carry approximately 40 passengers at any one time, which is a huge responsibility and one that should not be undertaken lightly. Sometimes the stress of dealing with so many people, the business of the roads, or just plain tiredness, can lead to some careless driving and accidents. This is, unfortunately, all too common, Kerry Gibbs, Personal Injury Litigator explains how you can keep safe and what to do if you are involved in an accident.

There are many different ways that passengers are injured whilst travelling on a bus or coach. The most obvious way is a collision of some kind where the bus or coach is involved in a crash with another vehicle. A bus or coach crash can happen for many different reasons including adverse weather conditions, driver error by the bus driver or another motorist.

Many injuries that occur on public transport result from excessive braking or acceleration on the part of the bus or coach driver. The momentum caused by the rapid deceleration can cause passengers to be thrown from their seats, or if standing in the aisle to fall over. Also driving around a corner too quickly can have the same affect. Very often braking incidents are the result of poor driving. This is a very common way to be injured on a bus or coach especially whilst making your way to a seat or to the front of the bus to exit. Other common incidents are tripping or slipping on the step to board or exit the bus or coach.

How to Keep safe

There are many different things you can do as a passenger to try and stay safe whilst travelling on a bus or coach. You should be aware that there may be quite a large step to board the bus, you should choose a seat quickly, make use of the safety poles, which may prevent you from falling, and make use of the seatbelts if provided.

So, what should you do if you are unfortunate to be involved in a bus accident?

• Take note of the time of the accident, including the exact location.
• Ask for the name of the driver and ID number
• Take a note of the company name and registration, and route number.

If you were a passenger on the bus at the time of the crash you should retain your bus ticket as proof that you were on board the bus at the time of the accident.

Try to obtain the personal details of other passengers on the bus. This will also enable you to provide evidence of your presence on the bus at the time of the accident if you were a bus passenger, and also corroborate any liability issues about who was responsible for the bus crash.

Telephone the bus company as soon as possible when you return home, so that the circumstances of your accident and details of your injury can be formally recorded. You should also enquire if there was CCTV in operation on the bus on which you sustained your injury and, if so, request that they retain the film for the date and time when the accident occurred. Make sure you seek medical advice as soon as possible after any accident so that your injuries can be logged and recorded.

At Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors we work on a  No Win, No Fee Scheme, so if you have been unfortunate to have suffered Personal Injury call our Specialists on 01908 689332 or email kgibbs@geoffreyleaver.com.

Related Content:  Road Traffic Accidents

Kerry Gibbs